The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-05-19
MAX, THE LITTLE HERO.

Translated from the German for the Spring.
field Republican.
1t was a sad-looking village in which
little Max lived with his parents. For
days and days people had been an.
dering forth from their houses across
the fields into the woods. They drove
their cows and sheep and goats before
them; on little hand-carts they drew
household goods, spinning wheels,
tools, clothes and bedding. The men
had anxious, careworn and angry
faces; the women carried the children
and cried and sobbed.
Max stood with his father in the
door of their house and looked after
such a procession which had just pass.
ed.
''Come with us, said a peasant who
came last because he led stubborn
pig with q rope. "Come with us. If
the enemy enters the village he will
burn the house over your heads
that's what you'll get. In few
hours the devils will be here, and
then you will hardly be able to
save your naked life,-which after all
IS left to us poor, chased people,"
IL cannot leave" said Max Is father.
II have sick child, and cannot drag
it into the forest to be exposed to the
night air which would Kill it,"
"Then let at least the boy come
with me" said the peasant. "He is
only in your way if it comes to the
worst"
do you think SOP" said the father
thocghtfully. BETTER cared for he
certainly would be. And if the worst
happens, one of us at least would be
saved. You would take care of him
and protect him. He is a child still ~
mo, father, that am not" cried
the twelve year-old boy, who had
listened with wide-open eyes and
serious face to the conversation OF the
men. II am no child, and l am not
AFRAID, and will stay with you and
mother and Anna. 1t you do not
leave, also need not run away. l
stay with you, father" he added half
begging, half assured, and stepped up
close to his father, looking into his
face with loving eyes.
Thus Max remained in the village.
1ne family after another left, until
the houses and streets were deserted
and no one lived in the village but the
two children Max and Anna, with
their parents. In the afternoon Max
went to the neiyhbors' houses and
looked in at the windows and over
the fences and saw how the wind
played with the straw blades in the
yards. There was no sound to be
heard, it was rs II every one was dead
and buried. The old nut trees r,stled
gently in the wind and then all was
quiet again.
GLOW strange that people are afraid
OF each other in war time" said Max
to himself. Gas if the soldiers had no
parents, no homes, and would set
other peoples houses on fire just out
of sheer uginess, as our neighbours
said. Such soldiers must not be the
right kind of men-who knows where
they came from?"
He went to ask his father to give
him some information about it, but
his father had no time, for he went
twice an hour up on the hill behind
the cemetery and looked down into
the valley.
Max he said in the evening, when
the mother had sent the boy to bed,
-try to fall soon asleep, for to-mor-
row we must be up early"
Max crept under his blanket and
was soon asleep. His mother looked
after little Anna, who was asleep too,
then she set the oll-lamps in the cor
her OF the room on q chair, over the
back OF which she hung Il shawl, so
that the light should not disturb the
children i'll their sleep, then she gently
closed the door and went into the
next room to her husband.
For a moment she pressed both
hands before her face
"What is it?' cried he, putting
down his pipe and grasping the arm OF
his wife.
''My heart feels so heavy" she said,
and dropped her hands.
as Anna worse?" he asked anx-
iously.
mo, thank God" answered she,
<'but the worry, the anxiety! Now
We are all alone in the village, quite
alone! Listen only how quiet it is;
neither man nor animal moves, not
even the clock in the tower strikes
any longer. 1t is like gravel
'TO-mOrrOw l am afraid it will be
louder" said the father. "Toward
evening saw something glistening
and glittering at the edge OF the forest.
l do not know whether they are our
soldiers or the enemy's; tomorrow
we will know more about them with
out need to ask. But on the whole
you must not be so down hearted; es.
peclally not before the children.
Everything may end we'll. Sleep now,
and will stand guard for YOU"
The mother did not sleep. but lis
tened to the breathing of the children
and the steps of the father, now in the
house, row in the yard.
In the morning, when the sun rose
bright and clear behi ind the hills, Max,
who had been up an hour already,
rushed breathlessly into the room.
"They come, they come!' he cried, and
his cheeks glowed and his eyes spark.
led.
"Who?" asked his mother, standing
as if in protection at the bed of Anna.
'The enemy!' said Max hastily.
"Hussars behind cloud OF dust''
They rush down the hill like the
wind and will soon be here! Do not
be afraid, mother; father and / are at
home!" and with this he ran out again.
Soon the tramping OF horses and
clanking OF spurs and sabers was
heard, angry words and much noise.
"Cursed villaee!' they said. Every.
thing deserted! Do you think we will
stand that? Burst open the doors
that are locked and fetch whatever
YOU find in the hOvels!'
Thus commanded the leader, and
then there began a cracking and break
ing, smashing OF windows, cursine,
scolding, laughing, whilst bags OF flour
and corn, pieces of clothing, pots OF
lard and annexed meat and other Vict.